Noam Chomsky on Venezuela

Noam Chomsky delves deeper into the news about CITGO volunteering to provide low cost heating oil for low income communities in some of the US cities. CITGO is owned by a subsidiary of the Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A., the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

From Venezuela to Argentina, the hemisphere is getting completely out of control, with left-centre governments all the way through. Even in Central America, still suffering the aftereffects of President Reagan’s "war on terror," the lid is barely on.

In the southern cone, the indigenous populations have become much more active and influential, particularly in Bolivia and Ecuador, both major energy producers, where they either oppose production of oil and gas or want it to be domestically controlled. Some are even calling for an "Indian nation" in South America.

Meanwhile internal economic integration is strengthening, reversing relative isolation that dates back to the Spanish conquests. Furthermore, South-South interaction is growing, with major powers (Brazil, South Africa, India) in the lead, particularly on economic issues.

Latin America as a whole is increasing trade and other relations with the European Union and China, with some setbacks, but likely expansion, especially for raw materials exporters like Brazil and Chile.

technorati tags:
Left, Chavez, Venezuela